Stalemate Sacrifice
by Famous Fault
Summary: One-shot: Vexshipping. With Yugi and Yami gone Anzu does a hopeful attempt at saving Ryou from Bakura's claws. But how far is she willing to go for her friend?


I hereby vow to make a one-shot of every shipping on the shipping-list (except GX characters). Not in any sort of particular order, category or by any given date. I will however do every one of them, if it takes me the rest of my life.  
May the gods help me, I'm going to need it.

This it Nr. 4 = Vexshipping

Just to set this straight, this is Manga!Anzu, I do not like the character 4Kids turned her into. I actually like Anzu in the manga.

* * *

"This is a joke!" he snarled furiously and took a threatening step forward. "You're lying!"

She didn't even budge, but kept staring into his red eyes which could make every mortal tremble in fear. Perhaps the reason for her being so unaffected was that her own eyes were filled to the brim with tears.

She shook her head in reply, her voice sounded steady despite her tears. "Of course I'm not joking. Why would I? About something like that I'd never."

Bakura cried out furiously and hit the wall with his fist, using all the strength he could manage. The skin cracked and he started to bleed, he did however not care, not feeling pain the way his host did. His host … The only reason he had let the boy live was because he needed him, needed him for that one day. If the girl's news was true then he had no use for Ryou anymore, that certain day far from his reach.

"Why did you tell me this?" he snarled. They knew how dangerous he was, why would any of them show up willing to tell him something that would only anger him?

He saw her jaw tighten and she looked down, unable to stand his gaze any longer. Her hands were clenched in fists and she was shaking with suppressed sobs. She was highly unwilling to tell him.

Bakura did however not need an explanation. When it dawned on him he started to laugh, a maniacal laughter that would make anyone fear for their lives. They had a good reason, he was evil inside a high school boy's body.

"I see", he said amused. "It's for him. Do you really think I will leave your little friend alone now?"

"You don't need him anymore, right?" she replied angrily. Her bravery was so human that it disgusted the old demon.

"It is true that with the insolent boy's death I've lost my opponent. I will have to wait for my next chance." He flashed a carnivorous smile. "How did it happen?"

"Stray bullet during a robbery", she hissed through clenched teeth. "He died instantly."

Bakura laughed aloud. "A piece of led and the mighty king vanishes. I'm sure he'll be grieved."

"He will", she said forcefully, "both of them!"

Bakura laughed louder. He was still thoroughly pissed because of the disappearance of the one he hated most, but he'd find some relief. He hadn't killed since he had ripped out Pegasus' eye, he missed it.

"Well", he said with a grin, "there is no reason for me to stay around with the worthless Pharaoh gone. Neither is there for you to grieve, he will be back. I'll give you a proper reason to grieve."

Her eyes went wide with fear. "What do you mean?"

"Like you said I have no need for this boy anymore, I think it's time for my landlord to learn what happens to those who defy me."

She understood. "No! You can't! Just leave him be!"

Careful Mazaki", he growled, "interfere and I'll make sure you take the blame. This boy lived only to serve me, now that he fails to be useful I can do as I please."'

New tears streamed down the girl's face but she knew she couldn't do anything to stop him. She had seen that maniacal side of him before and the only outcome could be Ryou's death. She knew only one person who could match the albino in kindness and innocence and that was Yugi. How cruel that it had to be the two of them who had been caught in an ancient battle between two sorts of darkness. It was even crueller that they were the one to loose their life so early, the world was better with them in it.

"Please don't kill him", she pleaded, knowing it was useless. "You've put him through enough!"

"And I'll enjoy ending it", he said with a purely evil smile. Then he turned and walked out, leaving Anzu alone in Ryou's apartment. She watched him walk out, stunned by how normal he looked from behind, only his eyes and his laugh had witnessed of his evil. She was shaking, both in anger and sorrow, the thought that she'd never see either Yugi or Ryou alive again weighing her down.

She waited in the apartment for half an hour, simply allowing her sorrow to overwhelm her. Then she retrieved her composure and pushed all the negative emotion away to replace it with determination. She was probably already too late to save Ryou, not that she could have anyway, but she could at least go looking for him.

She called Jonouchi as she walked out the apartment. He answered the phone with a voice that told her he'd been crying. "Jonouchi", she said, keeping her voice level and calm, "I've done something stupid. I told Bakura, the spirit of the ring, what happened."

The horror in Jonouchi's voice was unmistakeable. "Anzu, why? He's dangerous!"

"For Ryou", she replied, her voice breaking as she walked up the street.

Jonouchi sighed, seeing no point in getting angry. Although the blonde could be hopelessly childish and hot tempered, at just the right moments he knew exactly what to do and say, even control his temper. "What happened?"

She gave him a quick recollection of the brief exchange between herself and Bakura. She had hardly finished when Jonouchi furiously called out: "We've got to help him!"

"Jonouchi", Anzu whispered, "he's been gone for over half an hour, I don't think we can do much for him anymore."

Jonouchi swore loudly and a crashing sound was heard from the other side of the line. "Not him too! Dammit, Anzu, we've got to find him! Where are you?"

"Outside Ryou's apartment", she said while wiping away her tears.

"Stay there and call Honda. I'll be there in five." Before Anzu could reply Jonouchi had hung up the phone.

Anzu fumbled with her cell in order to do as he had ordered her when a loud scream was heard from the docks. She had no trouble to recognize it as a scream of distress. Why? Why were the docks always deserted? She contemplated with herself for a minute when an additional scream evaporated all hesitation. She put her cell away and ran.

She had spend a fair amount of time at the docks, both in good and bad situations and she had much less problem to locate the origins of the screams than she had expected. Of course they came from one of the empty storages.

She opened the door carefully but as soon as she saw what was happening in there she forgot all about being inconspicuous. She drew in a choked breath and covered her mouth as the horror of the scene hit her. Five people were lying on the floor, either dead or dying. The floor was covered in more blood than she thought could come from five people. Among them stood Bakura in all his bloody glory. His sleeves, hands and shoes were covered in the red liquid.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder she could not help but yelp. "Shht", the person behind her said and she recognized Jonouchi's voice. He peered in over her shoulder carefully but the damage was already done. Bakura turned to see two ghostly pale faces look at the scene with matching expressions of horror. He started to laugh.

"It's not nice to peep. Why don't you come and join us?" His smile was truly carnivorous and a furious lion would not have scared Anzu more.

"These are the people the killed Yugi", Jonouchi stated. "Why …?"

"As long as I have use of him everyone who harms him has to answer to me!" Bakura stated, his wicked smile not vanishing once.

"So you killed them as punishment", Jonouchi said, barely able to make himself understood through his clenched teeth.

"No … not to punish _them_", he said, the madness showing in his eyes. "The best is still to come. Care to see?"

Anzu shook her head, not really aware of doing so. Jonouchi put his hands on her shoulders as a gesture of protection. With someone like Bakura, the spirit of the ring, one could never quite know what he'd be up to.

Then Bakura vanished. In his place stood Ryou who at first looked utterly confused as to what was going on. Anzu understood what Bakura had meant with the worst, not for them, but for Ryou. Ryou's confusion increased as he saw Anzu and Jonouchi in the doorway with their expressions of horror now mixed with pity.

"What …?" he started before catching sight of what was surrounding him. All the robbers had at last bled to death, looking with unseeing eyes in various directions, their faces still twisted in agony. Horrified realization slowly dawned on Ryou as he connected the dots. The bodies on the floor, the blood he was covered in and the faces of his friends. He did not utter another word, he fell to his knees, staring at his hands. The sounds of metal against concrete was heard. From Ryou's hands a knife had fallen, covered in blood Anzu had not seen it when Bakura had been holding it.

Laying on his knees in the blood of the dead surrounding him he started to cry. He was in shock, Anzu realized, and she had absolutely no idea what to do. She herself was in shock.

Then a siren was heard. She felt more than saw Jonouchi turn around. "Police", he said, "you did not call them, did you?"

Anzu shook her head. She had absolutely no idea who could have called the police, she doubted it was Bakura, he would never have involved the authorities, not him. Perhaps one of the spirit's victims, yet again, Bakura would never have allowed that.

Jonouchi looked around wildly. He knew that they had enough time to get away before the police arrived, but he was not sure he wanted. to. Eventually his hesitation had taken too much time and there was no point in running, then again, he would not leave Ryou and he was not quite sure he could have gotten Anzu to follow him. Eventually he did the only thing he could do, he pulled Anzu towards him and hugged her. He felt that she started to cry, but he did not care. All the while he kept looking at Ryou.

Ryou was oblivious of his surrounding. There was no telling what was going on, but from his expression it was clear that it was causing him great suffering. When the police cars stopped behind them Anzu turned around and broke free from his comforting embrace, Jonouchi kept looking at Ryou.

Anzu was not really aware of anything that happened from that moment on. She and Jonouchi were questioned and they answered every question as truthfully as they could. Ryou was not addressable, in complete and utter shock because of the things his darker had done.

"Mazaki-san, is there any reason as to why Bakura would kill those people in such a way?" one of the officers asked gently.

She started to shake her head, but stopped short. This was her chance to do something for Ryou. "Yes. Bakura isn't mentally stable, he suffers of dissociative identity disorder. He has a split personality. Ryou Bakura would never kill anyone, but his other enjoys it, his other is dangerous. It's why he lives alone, to protect orders."

Then a awfully familiar cackle was heard from behind her. A psychologist had tried to speak to Ryou with little success but he backed off in surprise and fear when Bakura took control again. The spirit had heard Anzu's little proclamation and it had thoroughly amused him. "You still think you can do anything for that little friend of yours?" He laughed some more.

Not a single person present failed to notice the difference. Had the police officer not believed her he did now. Everyone looked in horror at the white haired boy with the maniacal grin who in his turn was looking at Anzu.

"He will have to pay for my doing. You think he will live much longer? Ryou can't take this. I won't even have to kill him, he'll do it himself."

Anzu averted her eyes, knowing that Bakura was quite right. Protesting was of no use. Jonouchi however wasn't as composed. "Bastard! Leave Ryou alone!" He surged forward, fists ready for the strike … but Bakura was faster.

The demon grabbed Jonouchi's wrist just before the hand could reach his face and tightened his grip. With the strength he had in one hand the demon forced the blonde on his knees. "How helpful", Bakura scorned, "but I can inflict enough injury on my landlord by myself, thank you, I don't need your help."

Jonouchi cried out angrily, but did not lunge for Bakura again, instead he tore himself out of the demon's grip. Bakura had the perfect hostage in Ryou. Jonouchi stumbled backwards, away from the bloodstained madman and was caught by an officer who quickly made to see if he was alright. It was quickly established that Jonouchi was not, Bakura had broken his wrist.

Where Bakura stood he looked like something taken out of a vampire-movie. Covered in blood from head to toe, grinning like a maniac and nobody dared go close to him, the vast majority of the police officers had drawn their weapons. Anzu had mixed feelings about that.

She quickly stumbled forward, partly to make sure nobody would actually shoot the demon inhabiting her friend's body and because she had some sort of idle hope. "Just stop it", she said, annoyed at how weak her voice sounded in her own ears.

Bakura merely smirked. "Have I not told you already how dangerous it is for you to interfere?"

"I owe Ryou my life. Me, Yugi, Yami, Jonouchi and Honda, we all owe him his life, that's why I will put my own life at risk if there is even the slightest chance I can save him from you!" Anzu said with the confidence she was so well known for.

"Insolent little girl", Bakura snarled and bend down so he held his face at the same level of hers, staring straight into her frightened eyes. "There is nothing you can do." He spoke slowly and with low voice, almost mocking.

"As long as Ryou is still alive I won't give up!" she said, stubborn as always, although she could not help the fear from showing in her voice.

Before Yami Bakura could reply Jonouchi jumped in. "Anzu! Just stop it. There is nothing you can do! He'll kill you if you continue, you know that! We already lost Yugi and Yami, before the day is over Ryou will be dead, regardless of what you do, don't you go wasting your life also!"

"He's right", a soft voice close to her said. Anzu looked back at Bakura, surprised to find Ryou having taken his place.

"Ryou!" she called out startled.

The albino smiled a bit, his eyes sad the way only his could be. "I sensed that he was about to kill you, so I pushed him away", he explained, "He's really angry with my, but it's okay, Anzu, I don't really want to live with this anyway." He shuddered at the thought of what his darker had done in the empty storage.

Ryou opened his mouth to say something more, but never got to it as the ancient demon took control again, his features highly demonic as he snarled in anger. Anzu did her best to step back, to return to the line with armed cops, but she did not make it. "You'll pay for that!" Bakura snarled and Anzu could tell he was not talking to her. Faster than a snake he extended his hand forward and caught her neck. He had broken Jonouchi's wrist with that same hand, she could not help but think of what he could do to her neck with that hand. She started shaking in fear.

Bakura noticed it, but was too angry to enjoy his victim's fear. A gun went off. A searing pain went through his arm, he'd been hit in the shoulder of the arm which he was holding Anzu with. The only thing he did was turn his head to the person who had shot with a maniacal grin, he did not even need to lower his arm. The police-woman looked ghostly pale as she realized that her action had no affect whatsoever. Then he broke Anzu's neck.

Jonouchi cried out in anger, but to no avail. The only reason Anzu was still upright was because Bakura was still holding her. "Fine", Bakura said, "your life for Ryou's. I'll leave him alone." Then he withdrew.

Ryou was not as immune to pain as Bakura was, the moment he was back in control his body was ablaze by the pain coming from that one single wound. His arm fell, he could no longer use it. But the pain had been forgotten before he had even felt it. He had seen enough, his hand around Anzu's throat, the weird angle of her head, his hands had killed her. He fell to his knees, not sure if it was due to pain or shock, Anzu toppled down before him and he caught her with the single arm still functioning.

He had heard his darker: Anzu's life for his. It was cruel, it was perfect. Ryou would live in constant agony, ashamed and with crushing guilt because of the people who had all died at his hands, but he would not be able to end his life, since that would be disrespecting the sacrifice Anzu made. It was stalemate.

"Ryou", Jonouchi said, his voice wavering. It had been intended as a question, but it did not come out that way. He walked forth, knowing it was safe, for all the demon's faults, he did not come back on his word. He sat down on his knees next to Ryou and put an arm around the injured albino who turned to him and cried on his chest as Jonouchi took Anzu's weight from him. The blonde gently put his dead friend on the ground. For the time being he had to focus on Ryou, he was the one still alive, for him something _could _be done.

Somehow Jonouchi was reminded of a child, Ryou had somehow managed to make himself as small as possible as he had his forehead against Jonouchi's chest as he cried heartbroken tears. Jonouchi, who did not feel as awkward in the situation as one would have expected, carefully but comforting amrs around Ryou's shoulders, making sure not to hurt Ryou further.

The police stood around, not really sure what to do. They had just witnessed the weirdest thing in their careers and with a little luck nothing would ever surpass this, but it left them utterly bewildered as to what to do. So they just stood there, oddly moved by the scene, despite its horror.

A kid shot in a robbery, robbers torn apart and a girl murdered in cold blood. The female police officer who had shot the albino in the believe it would save the girls life was still shaking. How could someone fail to react on being shot? What had that creature been … and what had he been doing to the boy who was sobbing into his friend's chest.

Fate did not really seem to be on their side … or perhaps it was. They probably all interpret the symbolic event differently, but moments later the albino's tears had been vaporized by a violent rain, as if the sky was crying.

* * *

I am not really satisfied with this … but that has probably to do with my recent accounter with Bloodlines. LK has officially made a Thiefshipper out of me. I started this story before that and attempting to finish it properly with that whole new view of Bakura is simply impossible.

Do however, pretty please, review.


End file.
